Elevator emergency testing system

ABSTRACT

An elevator emergency testing system is incorporated in the alarm and emergency lighting circuits. The elevator car emergency lights are supplied electrical energy through a battery maintained in the charged state by a battery charger and light control module which is fed by the car service supply voltage. One pole of an elevator alarm button is employed to trigger the alarm in the conventional sense while another pole of the same button automatically disconnects the car supply voltage triggering the emergency lights.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Stephen A. Hornung FOREIGN PATENTSLouisville, y- 1,267,937 6 1961 France 315 86 [211 APPI- THER REFEREN 22Filed Mar. 21, 1969 Q CES Popular Electromcs: Battery-less Power Fa1lureAlarm [45] Patented Sept. 28, 1971 t F I [73] Assignee M'White Company,hm by Frank H. Tooker, Vol. 28, No. 2, eb. 1968, pages 43, 44

Louisville, Ky. copy m 248 Primary Examiner.lohn W. Caldwell AssistantExaminer-Daniel Meyer [54] f fY gg P fiF TESTING SYSTEM AltameyHopgoodand Calimafde aims, rawing lgs.

521 US. Cl 340 214, 340/248 R, 340/333 [51] Int. Cl ..G08b 29/00ABSTRACT; An elevator emergency testing system is incop 0 Search poratedin the alarm and rg y i it Th 5 214,410,411; elevator car emergencylights are supplied electrical energy 87 through a battery maintained inthe charged state by a battery charger and light control module which isfed by the car ser- [56] References cued vice supply voltage. One poleof an elevator alarm button is UNITED STATES PATENTS employed to triggerthe alarm in the conventional sense while l,7l0,542 4/1929 Landis340/333 UX another pole of the same button automatically disconnects the2,942,249 6/1960 Paull 340/327 X car supply voltage triggering theemergency lights.

- l2 MflA/VAL 0/Y-0fi/ [0 fi/P nevi/ran an LIGHTS TRANSFORMER Z0 AMA111% 944i? a/scfiwnxar g BATTIR) 5 aw O fi EMERGENCY LIGHT uaurs 1$235222 24 l ma 1 OFC'AEIFD l il/SW/Z/ 40 man" ELEVATOR EMERGENCYTESTING SYSTEM 1 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates toelevator alanns, elevator emergency lighting, and means forautomatically testing such devices.

The elevator codes in most states make it mandatory for the provision ofemergency lights in the car which will provide some minimum amount ofillumination should the normal light supply fail. Additionally, mostcodes also require the provision of an emergency alarm bell which can betriggered by a car occupant in an emergency. Since the emergency may bea power failure halting the car between levels the alarm system mustalso be operable in case of the lack of power.

Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide a devicewhich satisfies the alarm code requirements and simultaneously affords ameans of testing the emergency lighting.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an arrangementvwhereby the same apparatus and circuitry may be used for testing and inactual emergency situations.

Briefly, the invention is predicated upon the concept of providing asecond pole to the alarm test button which automatically disconnects thenormal car supply voltage thereby triggering the emergency lights. It isa feature of this invention that both the alarm contact and thepower-disconnect selfhold until manually reset, thereby providingcontinuous lighting (and if desired-alarm) regardless of an intermittentsupply voltage.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention andthe manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the inventionitself will best be understood by reference to the following descriptionof an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, the descriptionof which follows.

FIG. 1 is a block schematic of the inventive circuitry; and

FIG. 2 is a detail of the battery charger and light control moduleofFIG.l. 7

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Turning now to FIG. 1, theelevator car lights 10 which are generally recessed in the car ceilingderive their energy from the umbilical cable 12 supplying line voltageto the elevator car. Light switch S is disposed at the cab control panelfor convenience in operating the elevator lights.

Voltage supplied to the car is also available via lines 14 and throughthe normally closed contact ab, of the alarm relay AB to transformer 16which provides a reduced voltage necessary for the battery charger andlight control module 20. Battery charger and light control module 20 isconnected to the emergency lights 22, which may also be disposed on theinside of the car roof, and the alarm bell 24 which may be disposed, forexample, under the car. The latter is coupled via normally open relaycontact ab of relay AB.

As may be seen from FIG. 2, the battery charger and light control modulesupply the emergency lighting battery 40, which is preferably of thenickel-cadmium type which can be repeatedly cycled, and will maintain apeak charge upon being supplied a trickle current. The charge andtrickle charge is supplied the battery 40 via diode 26 and chargingresistor 28 which converts the transformer secondary voltage to DC.Relay TR is connected across the transformer secondary and is energizedso long as the voltage supply to the cab is not interrupted. Uponinterruption, relay TR will cease to hold open the normally closedcontact tr, thereby energizing the emergency lights with battery power.

When it is desired to test the alarm of in case of an actual emergency.alarm switch a single pole manual switch, is depressed energizing relayAB via battery power. This opens normally closed contact ab and closesnormally open contact 017 thereby initiation the following: Contact abconnects the battery 40 to the alarm bell 24, while contact ab, opensthe transformer primary deenergizing relay TR and energizing theemergency lights via contact tr. Activation of the switch 5;,

which may be of the momentary contact type, also causes relay AB toself-hold via contact ab;, and battery 30. In selfholding, the alarmbell will ring and the emergency lights will remain in operation for aslong as desired and unaffected by momentary transitions which wouldcause a fluttering of relay TR. The release of the test circuit iseffected manually by the opening of contact S causing relay AB to dropout, and releasing the alarm contact ab and restoring the normallyclosed line contact 0b,.

As may be seen, the described arrangement provides an extremely simpleand expeditious manner of testing the emergency lights periodically inconjunction with alann bell testing. It may be further seen that in caseof an actual emergency situation, the actuation of alarm switch S, andthe energization of relay AB will maintain the emergency lights on evenduring power fluctuations until the circuit is reset manually throughswitch S;,. If desired, a separate switch S having normally closedcontact is provided for convenient alarm bell shut off.

Where less sophistication is desired, the circuit 30, shown enclosed bythe dashed lines, may be deleted and contacts ab and ab; replaced by thenormally closed and normally opened poles, respectively, of a doublepole switch. In this case, the double pole switch would be of thebistable type having on and off positions.

What is claimed is:

1. An elevator emergency testing system comprising:

a battery;

a battery charger and control circuit;

emergency lights coupled to said control circuit;

an audible alarm coupled to said control circuit;

means in said control circuit responsive to a power failure for couplingthe emergency lights to the battery;

an alarm button; and

means under control of said button for interrupting the power to saidcontrol circuit and simultaneously connecting said alarm to saidbattery.

2. The elevator emergency testing system claimed in claim 1, wherein themeans under control of said alarm button comprises first and secondcontacts, respectively located in circuit with said alarm and saidcontrol circuit.

3. The elevator emergency testing system claimed in claim 2, whereinsaid means under control of said alarm button comprises a relay coupledin series between said alarm button and said battery for controllingsaid contacts.

4. The elevator emergency testing coil claimed in claim 3, wherein afurther set of contacts are provided for said relay connected toself-hold said relay; said system further comprising means for manuallyreleasing said grounded l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent 3.609.730 Dated September 28, 1971.

Inventofls) Stephen A. Hornunq It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 57, After "testing" cancel "coil" and subtitute therefor--sys tem-- Column 2, line 60, Cancel "grounded" and substitute therefor---rela Column 2, line 60, Insert a period at the end of the line Signedand sealed this 6th day of June 1972.

(SEAL) Attast:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Commissioner of PatentsAttesting Officer ORM 0-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 6O376-P59 u 5. GOVERNMENTPRmYmc OFFICE I969 0-356-114

1. An elevator emergency testing system comprising: a battery; a batterycharger and control circuit; emergency lights coupled to said controlcircuit; an audible alarm coupled to said control circuit; means in saidcontrol circuit responsive to a power failure for coupling the emergencylights to the battery; an alarm button; and means under control of saidbutton for interrupting the power to said control circuit andsimultaneously connecting said alarm to said battery.
 2. The elevatoremergency testing system claimed in claim 1, wherein the means undercontrol of said alarm button comprises first and second contacts,respectively located in circuit with said alarm and said controlcircuit.
 3. The elevator emergency testing system claimed in claim 2,wherein said means under control of said alarm button comprises a relaycoupled in series between said alarm button and said battery forcontrolling said contacts.
 4. The elevator emergency testing systemclaimed in claim 3, wherein a further set of contacts are provided forsaid relay connected to self-hold said relay; said system furthercomprising means foR manually releasing said relay.